MODIFICATION
A -- Biometrics
- Notice Date
- 1/20/2012
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- Contracting Office
- US Army, Army Contracting Command, ACC New Jersey, 5418 South Scott Plaza, Ft. Dix, New Jersey 08640
- ZIP Code
- 08640
- Solicitation Number
- W15QKN-12-X-D014
- Response Due
- 1/31/2012
- Archive Date
- 2/15/2012
- Point of Contact
- Jonathan Lopes, Contract Specialist, 609-562-1764
- E-Mail Address
-
Jonathan Lopes
(jon.lopes@us.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This is an amendment to the original "RFI" issued on 3 January 2012 under solicitation number W15QKN-12-X-D014. Below are the questions and answers provided to all prospective offerors. RFI responses are still to be submitted to this office by close of business 31 January 2012. REMINDER TO ALL OFFERORS RESPONSES TO THE RFI ARE DUE BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS 1/31/12. 1. Question: The modalities for FBI are not included as they are for IDENT and DoD. What are the modalities expected from FBI? Answer: As a minimum Finger and face 2. Question: Section 3 on page 6 references future capability for receiving, processing, and storing classified data in BEC. Information Category 8 references BEC as confidentiality level Sensitive and not Classified. Does the government anticipate BEC will require confidentiality level Classified per Department of Defense Instruction 8500.2? Answer: Future capability may be expected to receive, process, and store classified data, at which point MAC 1 classified may have to be adhere to. 3. Question:Relevant to Category 9 and page 6, first bullet Retrieve, process and store classified data. Please provide required security levels (e.g. Unclassified, Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret) for this Category. Answer: Please list in your response any assumption made on security levels regarding information supplied with this Category. 4. Question: Can the government provide additional information on the current ingest rates and capacity of the biometrics matching engines, by modality, both normal and surge rates? Answer: Not applicable for this RFI. 5. Question: Can the government provide the current match response times by modality? Answer: The Government provides match response time requirement by submission priority and highlights in the table below recent operational data for the month ending 31 December 2011. Average Auto Response 1/Mins/RequirementMins SOCOM Flash 2 9.78 3 15.00Priority 1 2.19 5.00Priority 2 3.17 30.00Priority 3 2.26 60.00Priority 4 2.57240.00 *Includes manual processing of submissions from SOCOM Portal 1 Average Auto Response represents DoD ABIS as a black box system. It is the average transaction time for lights-out submissions and excludes transactions with manual examination. It also excludes the time added to the transaction by the Transaction Manager and thus does not reflect the response time seen by the end-user. 2 SOCOM Flash submissions include manual processing from the SOCOM Portal and do not include submissions changed to Flash status after posted3 471 Flashes with an average time of 9 min 47 sec. 6. Question: What is the expected maximum capacity of the current architecture in terms of database size and transaction rate? Answer: Not applicable for this RFI. 7. Question: Reference Section 2.4, page 4, can the government further define the adaptation-SOA core architecture in relation to a full SOA? Answer: Adaptation-SOA reference internal services. BEC Inc 1 would be a full system SOA (both internal and external), and may include but not be limited to the following services: Watchlist, Biometrics Web Access, Cross Domain, Match Biometrics, Administrative, Data Storage, Database Synchronization, Authorization, Training, Database Integrity, and Adapter 8. Question: Reference Section 3, page 5, can the government further clarify the meaning of no proprietary standards? Answer: Open standard solutions, with Government owned algorithms as the objective 9. Question: Reference Section 3, page 5, is it expected that classified data as well as unclassified data will be contained with the same system? Answer: If classified is required, then it may be implemented as part of same system or be a separate system 10. Question: Reference Information Category 7, can the government further define multi-tier versus single site? Answer: Multi-tier refers to some level of capability being forward deployed. 11. Question: In section 3, page 5, no daily ingest rates are provided for international systems. Is it to be assumed that ingest rates from international systems are contained within the DoD rates provided? Answer: Yes 12. Question: Information Category 5 suggests interoperability with AFDIL. Is the government projecting the ingest of DNA data at some point? Can more information be provided? Answer: The Government will not provide any further information on IC5 at present. 13. Question: Page 4, paragraph 2.8, states that TMi will allow near real-time (NRT) decision-making by the Warfighter. Can the government quantify NRT and describe typical scenarios in which it would apply? Answer: Please refer to table embedded in Q&A #5 above for information on current response time requirements. 14. Question: Please confirm the database size and performance of the current system. Answer: For the purposes of responding to this RFI, it may be assumed that DoD ABIS is capable of storing 18M records and processing 30,000 transactions/day.Please refer to table embedded in Q&A #5 above for information on current response time performance requirements. 15. Question: When will vendors gain access to the DOD ABIS System Subsystem Design Document and the Interface Control Document (ICD)? Answer: System design and technical documentation shall be included in technical data packages corresponding to a Government solicitation, if applicable. 16. Question: Is there a secondary/off site redundant/failover system? Answer: For the purposes of responding to this RFI, it should be assumed there is an off-site redundant system. 17. Question: Would PM Biometrics be open to receiving responses addressing contractors capabilities and interest in supporting PM Biometrics in either of the above areas? Answer: As stated in the RFI purpose section, the government is looking for information on overall solutions, methodologies, approaches, and ideas on how to address capabilities outlined in this RFI. 18. Question: Ref. 2.8 DoD ABIS v1.2 Transaction Manager Integration (TMi) - Is the intent here for a vendor to provide or extend transaction manager functionality, or will this be provided by the existing NGA core services already in place? Answer: Information provided in Section 2.8 is intended to highlight current capability understanding by the RFI respondents. The Government is not making a statement as to future intent from a vendor as part of this RFI. 19. Question: Ref. 3. Future Capability - Can you provide a more detailed breakdown of the workload and background be provided? For instance, what percentage of the background consists of records with each modality, and what percentage of the daily workload consists of each modality? This will have an impact on the system size and design. Answer: Workload breakdown is currently undefined. Industry should list any assumptions relevant to their response. 20. Question: Ref. IC1 - What is the current storage volume and what is the expected growth through 2015? Answer: For the purposes of responding to this RFI, Industry make list an assumption that DoD ABIS database size as being capable of storing 18M records and processing 30,000 transactions/day. Please reference Section 3, bullet 2 and 3 for expected growth assumptions for the purposes of responding to this RFI. 21. Question: Ref. IC 1 - Is the data stored in a block or file format? Answer: If respondents information is reliant upon certain assumptions in regards to data stored in block or file format, please list assumptions in the response. 22. Question: Ref. IC6 - Can additional information and insight around DoDs goals be provided for this IC? Answer: The Government will not provide any further information on IC6 at present. 23. Question: Ref. IC8 - Could we please get a copy of the referenced document, DoD Instruction 8500.2? Answer: DoD Instruction 8500.2 is readily available on the Internet (dated 6 Feb 2003). 24. Question: Ref. IC9 - What domains are being referenced in this information category? (e.g., Info Systems domains, network domains?) Answer: If respondents information is reliant upon certain assumptions in regards to domains being referenced, please list assumptions in the response. 25. Question: Ref. IC6 - Kindly clarify and define open source. Does this refer to algorithms? Please also clarify what is expected by decoupled? Ref. Section 4 (page 6) - Information Category 6: What can be accomplished with open source? If not what can be decoupled? EBTSMulti versus single algorithms Answer: If respondents information is reliant upon a certain definition of Open Standard, please document the definition and/or assumption as applicable to your response.Intent behind decoupled is to not have the system reliant on any one given search engine or algorithm. 26. Question: Ref. IC9 - Does domain refer to the Implementation Domain (1.013) and Application Specific Profile (1.016) referenced in the NIST Special Publication 500-290 Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial and Other Biometric Information?Reference Section 4 (page 8) - Information Category 9: Handle Cross- Domain Solutions Answer: Cross Domain refers to moving information between classified levels (ie. NIPR SIPR).What are referred to in NIST Special Publication 500-290 are elements used in defining a solution. 27. Question: I understand that the Government is not requesting Proposals at this time and is only gathering information from Industry, but I was wondering if the 9 technology areas listed in the RFI would possibly result into 9 different Solicitations, in case the Government decides to move forward with this acquisition, or if one Solicitation will include all the categories. Answer: The Government is only gathering information from Industry through the posting of this RFI. 28. Question: Is this considered a new requirement of if there was an incumbent providing similar services in the past? If so, are you able to provide me with the incumbent contract #, contractor's name, value and expiration? Answer: While there is an incumbent providing similar services, the Government considers BEC Increment 1 to be a new requirement. Contract #: W91QUZ-07-D-0005-0004Contractor's Name: Northrop Grumman Information TechnologyValue: $151,013,798.68 (base + option years)PoP: 1 year base, + 4 1-year options, beginning 1 March 2011 29. Question: Paragraph 2.1 System Description indicates that the DoD ABIS is comprised of four major subsystems (ABIS Core, Search Core, Portal, and Examiner Workstations). However, the following paragraphs describe 5 subsystems (adding the TMi). We recognize that the TMi is intended to replace the pTM that exists within the ABIS Core. However, can you please provide the status of TMi integration into the NGA Core, or update the description of the ABIS Core in paragraph 2.4 to reflect the new functionality/architecture of TMi. Answer: The Government will not provide any further information on TMi at present. 30. Question: Paragraph 2.8 (second paragraph) mentions that BEC ingests EBTS via Web services (e.g., AKO/DKO). Can you elaborate on this interface? Where are the submissions originating from? What services are defined, and what are their interface descriptions? Are these services defined according to the FBI EBTS 9.3 or DoD EBTS 3.0? Answer: This references the internal system portal. The Government will not provide any further information on current system at present. Services defined according to DoD EBTS 1.2. 31. Question: Paragraph 2.8 (third paragraph) describes a future Web Service that will allow future approved and authenticated systems to consume it and access data in the Oracle NGDB. Does the NGDB currently organize data in relational tables, or are the Type 2 records simply stored as BLOBS? Is this service expected to allow database queries, or simply file/record retrieval? Will this service be defined according to the FBI EBTS 9.3 or DoD EBTS 3.0? Can you provide access to the DOD ABIS System Subsystem Design Document and the Interface Control Document (ICD) that are referred to in this paragraph? Answer: This is a planned enhancement to the internal portal. The Government will not provide any further information on current system at present. Services defined according to DoD EBTS 1.2. 32. Question: Paragraph 2.8 (fourth paragraph) mentions Additional external interfaces address the management of the performance and security of DOD ABIS. Are these part of a future capability of TMi, or are these currently available through the Portal (described in Paragraph 2.7)? Answer: Will be available as part of TMi. 33. Question: In Paragraph 3 Future Capability Reference Concept diagram: Can you describe what is meant by All external system actors will be remote capable? Answer: All system actors (ie. operators) can access the systems capabilities through remote access controls. 34. Question: Paragraph 3 Future Capability cites a requirement for Automated match response times of no longer than 5 seconds. Can you be more specific about the start and end limits for this requirement? Does the clock start when the collected sample is introduced into the search core? Or when it first reached the NGA Core? When does the clock stop? Is this time requirement based on an exhaustive search or 500 million identities, or against a watchlist? If a watchlist, then what is the size of the watchlist? Answer:The clock starts when the sample is accepted by the system. The clock stops when search is complete and a response is generated by the system. Search is against all records. Watchlist size may vary, so if respondents information is reliant upon certain assumptions in regards to watchlist size, please list the assumption in the response. 35. Question: Given the government requirement for no proprietary standards identified in Paragraph 3 Future Capability, and the requirement for adding voice modality and open voice standards, can the government specify which standard they require for voice? Answer: If respondents information is reliant upon certain assumptions in regards to standards being referenced, please list assumptions in the response. 36. Question: Can you provide more definition to the requirements identified in Paragraph 3 Future Capability, Outside Portal to Users? Is this portal expected to implement the Services defined in FBI EBTS 9.3 or DoD EBTS 3.0? Are there additional requirements of the portal? Answer: The Government will not provide any further information on outside portal to users at present. Use DoD EBTS 3.0 as baseline for responses. 37. Question: Can you provide more definition to the requirements identified in Paragraph 3 Future Capability, Quality, fidelity, and accuracy scores? What are the threshold and objective requirements for these factors? Or is the requirement simply to monitor performance against these factors? Answer: If respondents information is reliant upon certain assumptions in regards to quality, fidelity, and accuracy being referenced, please list assumptions in the response. Monitoring needs to be included. 38. Question: Can you provide more definition to the requirements identified in Paragraph 3 Future Capability, Running many independent workloads at once? Answer: System must process inputs in parallel. 39. Question: Can you provide more definition to the requirements identified in Paragraph 3 Future Capability, Efficiently managing bottlenecks in data flows, to obtain right balance? Answer: System must process inputs from multiple sources, with varying loads and priorities.
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